Penticton

New data from the BC River Forecast Centre has snowpacks in the Okanagan and Similkameen way above normal.

As of March 1, the Okanagan snowpack was at 141 per cent of normal, which is only exceeded by the Similkameen at 144 per cent.

The deep snowpacks put the Valley at an increased risk for flooding this spring, exacerbated by La Nina conditions in the Pacific.

The River Forecast Centre says 80 per cent of the annual snowpack typically accumulates by early March, but in La Nina years, things change and snowpacks continue to grow into April.

“While there is still uncertainty over how weather patterns will play out over the next few months, continued increases in snow basin indices into April and May are likely to occur,” the report states.

The province has already been letting extra water out of the Okanagan River Dam in Penticton to mitigate flood risk.

A spokesperson from the BC River Forecast Centre was not available Thursday to elaborate on the snowpack data. Watch Castanet News for that interview on Friday.